Parish Council’s frustration over Station Road Post Box

Hodnet Parish Council

Hodnet Parish CouncilSince the post box was removed from Station Road, following the closure of the Post Office, Hodnet Parish Council has been campaigning to get it reinstated.
The Parish Council has repeatedly written to the Post Office pointing out the need for a post box in this area and explaining that, being a residential area with a high percentage of older residents, it is these very people who are more likely to use and require a post box.
A petition was completed and the Parish Council sent to Owen Patterson MP to take forward on behalf of the residents of Station Road and it’s subsidiary roads of The Meadows, The Crescent and Webster Lane.
Unfortunately none of these complaints have prompted an action from the Post Office who maintain that their regulatory requirements are to provide a post-box within half a mile of at least 98% of all ‘delivery points’ (usually a customer’s letter-box) and so they are not required to reinstall the post box which they removed.
After 12 months of campaigning and the matter being referred to the Post Offices’s Senior Public Affairs Manager it seems that this issue will not be resolved in favour of the people in the Station Road area, much to their frustration and that of the Parish Council.